Glancing anxiously at his wristwatch , Regulus's eyebrows disappeared into his unkempt, black hair in disbelief. According to his watch, only one insignificant minute had past since the last time he checked it. Regulus muttered a foul curse under his breath, earning him a fierce glare from a mother who was passing by his bench with her two young sons . Regulus gave the angry woman a small, trembling smile, letting his wild mane of hair fall in front of his face to protect himself from her sour look. He heard the small family walk briskly down the dirt path, their feet crushing the bright yellow and orange leaves that littered the pathway. When the three sets of footsteps couldn't be heard no more, Regulus released the air from his lungs he had been holding. He was relieved that the woman was out of sight. He hated it when people were mad at him even if he didn't know them.

Regulus stretched out his aching legs as he slid down the back of the metal and wood bench he was sitting on. Crossing his arms tightly in attempt to warm his freezing body, Regulus absentmindedly blew at his long bangs. His legs began to fidget, joining his numb fingers in their clumsy tap dance on his cold skin. Even though it was chilly September day, Regulus barely noticed. He had other things on his mind that troubled him greatly and made his stomach violently churn.

Twenty minutes. He had twenty bloody minutes to sit on an uncomfortable park bench to wonder if he was making the biggest mistake of his life. Regulus had been telling himself for the past hour he could back out of his commitment to himself, but Regulus knew he wouldn't. Regulus wanted Winnie, his best friend in the world and almost- girlfriend, to be his girlfriend for real . He knew if he wanted their relationship to go to the next level he would have to tell her the truth about who he really was. However, he was still clueless on how was he going to tell Winnie that he was a wizard.

Regulus sighed, rubbing his tired eyes with his hand. Since yesterday morning when he decided it was time to let Winnie in on his secret, the doubt he locked away deeply in his mind had broken lose causing him to panic. He hadn't eaten a decent meal, slept soundly, and thought about nothing expect for what Winnie's reaction would be when he told her. Functioning like a normal person was nearly impossible for him. He needed to know if Winnie could handle him being a wizard. Regulus kept telling himself Winnie wouldn't care if he was a wizard, a Muggle, or a house elf. He was sure that she loved him as much as he loved her.

Beside Winnie was very into, what Muggles have nicknamed the magical forces in his world, the supernatural. Regulus smiled a little, holding back a chuckle as he thought about Winnie's unusual hobby. Winnie's house was filled with books about things that go bump in the night, weird talismans, gruesome artifacts, and other objects related to the occult that she hid cleverly away so she wouldn't freak out her family or friends. Winnie was always on the look out for the latest news on UFOs, Big Foot, and ghosts. She probably knew more about the magical creatures that roamed the earth and magic properties that govern magic spells, curses, and hexes then he did. Winnie was a firm believer in that there is more to this world then meets the eye. Regulus just hoped that her open-mindedness didn't evaporate when she came face-to-face with a real wizard.

The familiar jingle of silver bangle bracelets warned Regulus that Deirdre Harris had come to make his already bad day plunge to new depths of misery. A human-shaped shadow felled upon him, ridding the area of light.

"I'm surprise your hair hasn't turned silver yet. You need to stop worrying so much."

Regulus groaned in annoyance, frowning at Deirdre. "Don't you have any little children to cook up in your cauldron instead of bugging the hell out of me?"

"Glad to see you too," she said, dryly. She dropped heavily next to Regulus, her long flowerily skirt fanning around her legs. Brushing aside her brown hair from her eyes, Deirdre turned her body towards Regulus, getting a little too close for Regulus's comfort. "Relax, Graves. Winnie will not freak out. You being a wizard probably will have her all over you," Deirdre said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at him.

Regulus blushed as he glowered at his unwanted companion. Deidre let out a shrilly laugh. Smiling mischievously, Deidre unwind Regulus's arms and took a hold of his hands and said with the most serious voice , "I'm just kidding. Beside, if I hear any gossip about you sleeping with my sweet, innocent friend, I will hunt you down , slaughter you like a pig, and hide your body so well that nobody will ever know what happen to you."

Regulus couldn't help himself as a shiver ran down his spine, freezing him to the bone unlike any nippy autumn day could ever do. Deidre might look harmless with her flower printed skirt, wrinkle-free white blouse, playful jewelry, and short hair wind blown into a mess, but she wasn't someone you would want to be your enemy. Many dark rumors about Deidre have been discuss time and again since Regulus had moved to Bliss eight years ago. He knew most of the gossip was false, but there were some things that even he didn't know about the woman and didn't want to discover if they had an ounce of truth to them.

"Yes, Mother. Would you like to give me the "Talk" while you're at it?," he asked her as he peered at his watch. Seeing only that three minutes have past since the last time he check, he groaned.

"Maybe I should lecture you on the virtue of being patience." Deidre grinned at him, amused at his childish behavior.

Rolling his eyes, Regulus said , " So what brought you out of your crypt?"

"I had a vision about your future, Regulus Graves," she said in a mock creepy voice. She dramatically lifted one of her hands towards the heavens and laid the other on her chest where her heart was.

Regulus snorted loudly. One of Deidre's interests that added much fuel to the gossip was her hobby of fortune telling. She would spend hours consulting her battered, flimsy tarot cards or peering into a grimy crystal ball, trying to uncover what laid ahead for herself and her friends. Regulus found it hilarious that a Muggle was practicing Divination. If most wizards and witches couldn't See then what was the chances of Deidre being able to unlock the secrets of the Inner Eye? Of course, Regulus never had regarded Divination useful or practical, making him very wary of Deidre when he found out about her devotion to fortune telling . He could remember sleeping through Professor Faste's lengthy speeches about how the study of Divination could open new possibilities for those who could break free from this reality and release their Inner Eye. Regulus found what he had learned from that class, which wasn't much, to be complete rubbish. Tarot cards, crystals balls, and other fortune telling foolery did not interest him at all.

"What did you see, Madame Deidre? Am I going to become famous? Or am I going to die in seven days?" he questioned.

Letting her hands fall back to her side, Deidre's face came very somber, her smile morphing into a deep frown and her eyes darken into a midnight blue. "If the cards are right, you are in horrible danger, Regulus." Seeing that he didn't take her warning seriously, Deidre snapped, "I know you don't have much faith in the Sight, but I need you to promise me you will take care not to get yourself killed for Winnie's sake."

"I don't see why you're so upset about? Your prediction is base off of a bunch of playing cards," he joked, grinning cheekily as he laid his hand gently on her shoulder.

Deidre gave him a dark look, shrugging off his hand. " I can see why the Fool kept reappearing in my reading. You both have much in common.

Like the Fool, you too were mesmerized by the Magician's power that he offered you. But, you soon realize what the Magician's power didn't lead to glory and harmony, but to final death and destruction. After seeking advice from the wise and noble Hierophant, you befriended Death and started your second life in our world," Deirdre said softly.

Regulus's eyes were round from disbelief at Deidre's words. Regulus wasn't very smart, but he knew what was hidden in the story: the one piece of his life that he didn't want to dwell on as long as he shall live.

Hands shaking, Regulus fumbled around in his pocket for a cigarette. He pulled a slightly dented one and his silver lighter out. He lit the cigarette and placed it between his lips. After taking a long drag which helped him calm down a little, he asked in a tired voice, "How did you-"

"Know?" Deidre finished for him. For a few minutes the two sat in awkward silence, Deidre watching oil black clouds ooze across the perfect blue sky and Regulus watching his cigarette burn in his trembling fingers. Sighing sadly, Deidre looked away from the violent storm brewing in the distance.

"I only know what the cards tell me, Reggie," she told him.

"Rubbish," he snorted half-heartily.

Deidre gave him a glum smile. "I wish I could say that I heard it from someone, but we both know this is not the case. You trick them well, Regulus. Unfortunately, Death could not keep the truth from the Magician. He is looking for you, bringing the Day of Judgment with him."

"Does he know that I'm alive?" Regulus asked in a dead voice.

"I don't know," Deidre confessed.

"Just bloody great," Regulus said, flicking his cigarette into some bushes in front of him.

"There is still hope. This was one of the cards I used in my reading," Deidre said, pulling out a card from her skirt pocket and giving it to Regulus. Printed on the wrinkled and stained card was a blind folded man sitting with his legs tuck under him. A smooth staff was in one of his hands and in his other hand, a knobby, black staff could be seen. Under the man, a scroll declared the card to be the "Two of Wands".

Regulus stared at the card. Licking his dry, cracked lips, Regulus asked, "What does this card mean?"

"You have two choices. Whatever path you take will determine your and the one's you hold dear in your heart's fate. Keep this card to remind you of what I have told you," Deidre said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Winnie will be here any second. Regulus…" Deidre trailed off. Regulus was shock to see her eyes shimmering from the tears she fought back. "I know we have had our many disagreements, but I hope you view me as a friend. Please take care, my dear Fool."

With a heavy heart, Regulus watched Deidre walk down the path and disappeared into the colorful forest. Regulus didn't know what to think about Deidre's prediction. He wanted to rule it as nonsense, but he couldn't. Something in her blue eyes made him question for the first time about his freedom. Was he truly safe from Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters? Was he safe from getting pulled back into the war? He wanted to believe so. And how did Deidre know about his escape from Voldemort?

He studied the card in his hand. He had the final say in his destiny according to Deidre's tarot cards. What were the two choices? Regulus wished Deidre would have told him.

"Regulus!"

Tucking the card away, Regulus turned around to find Winnie walking towards him. Seeing her cute nose and cheeks rosy from the cold, apple green eyes sparkling with delight made Regulus forget all about his old life and the warning from Deidre. Winnie was wearing a charcoal gray wool coat, jean clad legs poking out of the coat. A wool scarf was wrapped snuggly around her neck. She smiled shyly at him making the cold dissolve from his body. She ran into his arms, giving him a hug as she snuggled up against his body.

"You're so cold," she exclaimed, craning her neck sharply so she could look at Regulus's face. "Where's you coat?"

"I kind of misplaced it," he admitted.

"You sound like some of my students when I ask them for their homework. You're going to catch a cold if you keep walking around half-naked," she scolded him, pulling out of their hug.

"It's not that cold," he lied, slipping his hand into hers. Winnie blushed, looking away in embarrassment. It amused Regulus to see Winnie become flush from holding his hand. She wasn't use to showing affection in public.

"So where are we going?" she asked him.

"You'll see," he said playfully.

They walked hand in hand on the snaky path into the darken canopy of red, yellow, and orange leaves. The couple strolled in comfortable silence, admiring the lovely trees, the busy squirrels, and when they were sure that the other one wasn't looking, each other. With very step, Regulus and Winnie walked farther away from town. After walking for about five minutes, Regulus let go of Winnie's small, warm hand and halted. He faced her, studying her like he would never see her again. Winnie tilted her head, eyes full of worry.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just…" Regulus sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. A curtain of hair covered his eyes away. "I just wanted to say I care a lot for you, Winnie."

"I feel the same way," Winnie said, smiling shyly, cheeks bright red.

"However, there is something I have to tell you," he said, looking up. He felt horrible when he saw Winnie mouth trembling, her eyes filling with tears. "What's wrong?" he said tenderly, wrapping his arms around the small woman.

"No-no-nothing," she choked out.

"Liar," he said, rubbing her back in a circular motion. "I would never leave you because I love you too much."

"Really?" She asked, eyes filling with hope.

"I promise."

"I feel really stupid right now," Winnie said, resting her head on his chest.

"Why?"

"Because I thought you were going to say we should just be friends." Winnie gave him a watery smile.

"That's hurts," he said, eyes sparkling in happiness . "How my heart breaks knowing my soul mate does not believe in me."

"I'm sure you'll live. Anyway, what do you have to tell me?"

This is it, Regulus told himself. The time to tell Winnie that he was a wizard had come. Taking a deep breath, Regulus began, "Winnie, I-"

An odd feeling came over him, stopping him from finishing. Glancing around nervously, Regulus pushed Winnie behind him.

"What in the wor-"

"Hush," Regulus commanded harshly from fright, his hands sliding into his pocket towards his wand.

The forest was unnaturally quiet. Shadows loomed over them menacingly. He couldn't see anyone lurking among the trees, but he knew he and Winnie wasn't alone.

"Reggie, what's wrong?" Winnie asked .

"Yeah, Reggie, what's the matter?" a rough, deep voice mocked Winnie's question from their left.

Regulus's head snapped towards the sound. They sprung froth from the shadows, their white, skull-like masks gleaming, black cloaks swirling around their feet, wands pointing directly at him and Winnie. Regulus was frozen in fear. His hopes of being free came shattering down. Even after going into hiding, he wasn't safe from Voldemort. Voldemort's loyal Death Eaters were here in Bliss, Ohio to collect him and drag him back to London.

"Well, look what we have here. A couple of filthy, love sick Muggles. Just makes your stomach spin, doesn't it?" said the deep voiced Death Eater.

"What's it to you?" Regulus growled, fingers gripping his wand tightly.

"Well, aren't you a cocky one, my fellow Englishmen. Tell me, Muggle trash, who do you think should die first: you or your whore?"

"Winnie, whatever happens, I want you to run for town," Regulus whispered, eyeing the ten men that stood before him. Pulling his wand quickly from his pocket, Regulus thundered, "CONFERNGO!"

The spell slammed into the startled Death Eaters, flinging a good portion of them off into the woods. Seeing Winnie dash off in the other direction, Regulus darted towards the remaining masked figures. Seeing a slim Death Eater running after Winnie, Regulus cast the Conjunctivitis Curse on the clocked figure. Letting out a yelp of surprise, the Death eater tripped over his feet and felled to the ground clutching his head. Regulus smirked as he sent a few dark curses at his opponents.

His confidents was wiped away when he was hit with the Cruciatus Curse ,sending him screaming to the ground. Overloading from the horrible pain, his body shuddered violently as he screamed. Suddenly, the pain was gone, leaving him panting and trembling on the ground.

"How did you like that, blood traitor?" One of the remaining five Death Eaters snarled, wand aimed at Regulus head. The cloaked figures surrounded Regulus.

"Never underestimate your opponent, bastards," Regulus hissed, gathering his angry and focusing on it in his mind. "CRUCIO!"

The spell hit the speaker. The man toppled into his neighbor, bringing him down with him. Regulus swung his leg out in an arc, knocking the three other Death Eaters over before they could curse him again. Somehow he got to his feet and ran away from the group.

Regulus ran unsteadily through the forest, barely missing trees and rocks. He didn't know what he should do . He could hear loud, furious cries behind him getting closer. The Death Eaters would soon be upon him. Not paying attention to where he was running, Regulus didn't notice that the ground dropped downward sharply. He tripped and tumbled down the steep hill, rolling through tall weeds and prickly bushes. He landed hard on his back knocking the air out his lungs. He laid there paralyzed, wondering if he was unable to protect Winnie. The snapping sound of twigs being broken alerted Regulus that someone was approaching. Fighting back the pain, Regulus rose to his feet, wand ready to cast a terrible hex.

Before he realize his mistake, Regulus was grabbed from behind, a hand covering his mouth. "I will not harm you," said the unknown person in his ear. Regulus couldn't see who it was, but he knew the speaker was a woman.

"Mislexus," She whispered.

The surroundings around them blurred together looking like a badly done watercolor painting. It was difficult to tell where the ground ended and the forest began. Regulus stood there with his mouth open. What spell was this?

A wand peered over his shoulder. Muttering something under her breath, she gave her wand a snappy flick.

"This should protect us for now," she said. Withdrawing her wand. "It is nice to see you, baby cousin, even if it's such under ghastly circumstance."

"Cissy?" Regulus said, turning around. In thirteen years, Narcissa had changed greatly. Her once pretty face now shown signs of aging. Tired blue eyes were intrigued by him, never glancing away. Narcissa's blonde hair was thin and dull like old straw. The ill-fitting clothes she wore made her seem shapeless.

"Regulus," Narcissa said, embracing him. "Thank Merlin he hasn't found you."

Wrapping his arms around Narcissa, Regulus discovered how thin and boney she had become since the last time he had seen her. "Who?" he asked.

"The Dark Lord. Oh, Regulus, you are in great danger. He has learned of your treachery," she said.

"How?" Regulus demanded, locking his stormy gray eyes onto Narcissa's icy blue ones.

Shaking her head, she released him from their hug. "There is not much time. I have to get back to the inn before Lucius returns. Listen to me, baby cousin. The Dark Lord's power has grown greatly in the last thirteen years. He has torn our world into two. The Ministry is under his control; it won't be long before he has control of Great Britain. Nobody can stop him. As we speak, Lucius and others are recruiting here in America.

I have lost too many in this stupid war. Even my own son ,who is only eleven, is already being pulled into the conflict. I will not lose you again."

"What are you going to do, Cissy? You know when Voldemort finds out that I'm living as a Muggle, he'll have his Death Eaters after me. I won't put you in danger," he reasoned with her, placing his hands on her arms.

"And what about your Muggle lover?" Narcissa said, darkly. "Do you care nothing of what happens to her?"

"Winnie…" Regulus face felled, shoulders slumping. "Is she -"

"Yes, she made it back safely."

"Thank God," Regulus sighed.

"I didn't know you believed in a god," Narcissa said.

" A habit I picked up. What am I going to do?" Regulus asked.

"I haven't come up with anything yet, but I want you to contact me when you are ready."

"Ready?"

"To leave. You can't stay here. The Death Eaters now know what you look like. They will report your little fight to Lucius who will put two and two together," Narcissa said, pulling out a folded pink piece of paper and slipping it into Regulus hand. "I'll give you one day. If I do not hear from you by then, I'll just assume that I have lost another in this war. I will protect you somehow. Bye, Regulus." Giving him a small kiss on the cheek, Narcissa canceled her spells and disappeared with a crack.

Regulus stood there, numb from pain, fear, and angry. He couldn't believe that everything he had work for was now gone.

Not caring who in the world he scared, he disapparated to Winnie's kitchen. When he appeared in Winnie's warm, homey kitchen, he scared Tomtom, one of Winnie's cats, from his cozy spot on the windowsill. He hissed at Regulus as he ran from the kitchen.

A pale Winnie, black iron cast skillet in hand, poked her head into the room. Seeing Regulus, she dropped her weapon and ran to him. Letting out a sob of relief, she buried her face into his dirty shirt.

"Winnie? Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, checking her over.

Composing herself, Winnie said, "Yes. And you?"

Regulus let out a humorless laugh. "Just a few cuts."

"Who were those people?" Winnie asked.

"They are Death Eaters. They are the loyal servants of an evil man called Voldemort," Regulus informed her, walking over to the window above the sink.

"They can do magic? Like you?" Regulus stiffed at Winnie's question. He could hear the fear in her voice that broke his heart. He couldn't stand the thought of her being frighten of him.

"I-"

"I knew for the longest time that you were a wizard. Wizard is the right term for what you are, right?" she asked, worried that she might have offended him.

"Yes, I'm a wizard, but how…."

Winnie blushed. Staring at her shoes, she said, "One time when I was waiting for you to come home from work, I went through your stuff. I didn't mean to pry, but I just wanted to know more about you. This was before we became really good friends. I would have never thought of doing it if Deidre didn't give me the idea.

Anyway, I found some interesting things lying around. Books on potion brewing, curses, and something called Transfiguration in your drawers, a sleek broom which probably never seen a pile of dust in it's life tucked away under your bed, your wand in a box in the closet, a black cauldron in your cupboard. Are they really that small?"

"We just were attacked by mass murderers and you want to know if my cauldron is standard size," Regulus asked in wonder.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Sighing, Regulus said, "There's nothing for you to feel sorry about. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I promised you I would never leave you, but I have to." Regulus stroked Winnie's cheek.

"Because of the Death Eaters. I had a feeling," she said sadly, tears filling her eyes. "That is why I want you to have this." Winnie removed her necklace and put it on Regulus. Regulus pick up the half dollar sized pendant. It was in the shape of an inverted pyramid. Written on the top was the word "ABRACADABRA." The farther down he looked, the more the word shrunk. At the bottom, only the letter "A" was left.

"This should protect you. I want you to promise me that you will return this to me when you no longer need it. I will never forgive you if you don't give it back," she warned him.

"I promise."

"I guess you should go, but before you do…" Winnie kissed him softly on the lips. Regulus was so stun that he didn't kiss back. Giggling, Winnie gave him one last hug. "I love you, Regulus Graves.

"My name is really Regulus Black," he confessed.

" I love you, Regulus Black," she corrected herself, tears rolling down her face.

"I love you too, Winnie Patterson."

Letting go of Winnie, Regulus apparated to his apartment to contact his cousin to tell her that he was ready to face his past.